BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia affects 6 million Americans, 90 percent are women. Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain illness characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches, pain and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue and sleep disturbances. The most common sites of pain include the neck, back, shoulders, pelvic girdle and hands, but any body part can be involved. There is no cure or known cause for fibromyalgia, making the quest for an effective treatment very frustrating for many patients.

CURRENT TREATMENTS: Fibromyalgia pain and symptoms vary from patient to patient and so do treatments. One treatment may work for some patients and not for others. Mindfulness meditation is a technique that encourages self-awareness and living in the present moment. A study conducted at the University of Louisville shows this type of meditation helps fibromyalgia patients. For some fibromyalgia patients, massage therapy is beneficial. Researchers at the Touch Research Institute in Miami say this may be because massage alters the sleep pattern in patients, which reduces the amount of pain. Some research has indicated that fibromyalgia may be caused by low levels of growth hormone. New research done in Spain shows growth hormone injections can relieve pain and stiffness in patients.

NEW TREATMENT: Some research into this disorder points to abnormal sensory processing in the central nervous system. Researchers recently looked into a drug, which would help regulate this process. The drug, dopamine receptor agonist pramipexole, or Mirapex, Normally used to treat Parkinson's disease, this drug stimulates dopamine production by binding to dopamine receptor sites and is thought to inhibit sensory nerve-mediated responses. This is the first trial of this drug. Study author Andrew Holman, M.D., of Pacific Rheumatology Associates in Renton, Wash., says this treatment is a new approach to reducing fibromyalgia pain. Instead of using a drug that forces a patient to sleep, thereby relieving some of their pain, the Mirapex deals with the problem behind the insomnia.

THE RESEARCH: The study was a single-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 60 patients with fibromyalgia. Some of the patients were assigned to test the active drug; others were assigned to a placebo. The medication was taken every evening for 14 weeks. Researchers increased the dosage weekly for those receiving the drug, starting at 0.25 milligrams the first week and ending at 4.5 milligrams for the last three weeks. Although the study period was short, the researchers say the findings are promising. The group using the active Mirapex reported a significant reduction in pain. The researchers say the next step is larger trials of the drug to find out if the treatment can be made widely available.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Lori Lewis
Pacific Rheumatology Associates, Inc. PS
4300 Talbot Rd. South, Suite 101
Renton, WA 98055
P: (425) 235-9500
F: (425) 235-9555
http://www.pacificrheumatology.com